Rustic Spring Decorating Ideas

By Interior Designer TRACY SVENDSEN | Published March 26, 2017 | Updated November 30, 2023 |

Rustic Spring Decorating Ideas: Spring is almost here, and as the colors outside begin to change from cool tones and shades of gray transitioning to sunny blooms and vibrant shades of green, our interiors can also use an uplifting Spring home refresh to reflect the season.

This post covers the current design trend of using nature as an inspiration in design, which goes hand in hand with introducing a new color palette with fresh flowers, plants, and organic accessories. Everything now is about incorporating raw textures and natural artisanal elements with a healthy dose of color rather than the shiny and refined look of the past. 

The vibe is more organic – think of raw wood, natural textures such as linen, and indoor gardens, which have become popular in contemporary architecture. Expect to see all shades of green in lively, organic, and rich shades used in small doses and larger upholstered pieces. Feature images courtesy of Country Living

Spring Decorating Ideas
Images courtesy of Country Living

Rustic Spring Decorating Trend 1: Terrariums

It’s possible to cultivate something green and beautiful simply by placing plants with similar light and watering needs in a glass terrarium that is wide enough to put your hand in. Terrariums are taking center stage now, with many styles and variations that allow personal creativity. They are also an easy way to bring the outside indoors, any time of the year.

Refinery 29 and Sprout Home collaborated to create a fabulous article on creating a stunning terrarium with step-by-step images of the process. Whether you choose woodsy and tropical plants or a desert cactus, maintenance is necessary. “Both require different care, lighting, and water,” says Sprout Home expert Sarah Trover.

Must-Have Components for a Successful Terrarium

Lava Rock: Acts as a drainage system and gives the water you give your plants a place to go so your roots can still access it without sitting around them, causing rot.

Charcoal: Acts as a water filter to keep your roots clean and your plants happy.

Potting Soil: Tropical plants require a typical potting soil, while a succulent or cactus terrarium needs something special.

Steps to Create a Unique Terrarium

Step 1: Add a layer of Lava rock at the bottom of your container.

Step 2: Next, add a layer of charcoal

Step 3: Consider using layers of colored sand. “Sand and rock create interest in the bottom of the container to attract the eye and [allows you to] color coordinate with your decorating scheme or trends.”

Step 4: Add a layer of potting soil

Step 5: Start adding your plants and live moss

Step 6: Work in groups of three or five plants. “The odd number looks great in containers, and the live moss helps fill things out to feel like the forest floor without…making things overly claustrophobic,” says Trover.

If you plan on designing a DIY Terrarium, Terrain has an extensive selection of containers and preserved and dried Spanish moss, potting stones, garden gear, plants, and flowers.

Decorating with Organic Elements
Images courtesy of Country Living

Rustic Spring Decorating Trend 2: Organic Elements

Bringing natural elements into your home can give a living space a breath of fresh air while providing a connection to the outdoors. Choose materials that resonate with your style. Nature is the perfect inspiration for art and interior design, and incorporating natural materials such as wood, stone, and plants can provide harmony between humankind and nature.

“With the re-emergence of green living and conserving the Earth’s precious resources, there has been a renewed interest in homeowners finding building products that have been recycled and used in new ways, reclaimed from other building projects or re-purposed into new functions.” ~ Fresh Home

Sometimes, the simplest things can be the most beautiful, such as displaying feathers you find on a walk in an earthenware mug or filling bottles and jars with stones or twigs. A discarded bird’s nest can be a creative vessel for small plants.

Textiles featuring birds, branches, or foliage are another way to wake up a room for Spring and are cost-efficient ways to add color to a room. Tree stumps are also great for bringing the outdoors in and work well as accent tables. Forest-theme dinnerware is available in various sizes and makes a unique gallery wall. You can easily switch the collection with each change of season. Another way to create an artisanal finish is to add ceramics to collections of vases or pots, rustic light fixtures, and organic wall art. 

Decorating for Spring
Image courtesy of Craftberry Bush

Rustic Spring Decorating Trend 3: Textural Elements

Both organic and textural elements and using a variety of surfaces and layering are key for adding dimension and interest to a room. Add plush fabrics, woven surfaces, and wood for a cozy feel. Using stones, feathers, shells, and branches as decorative objects, you can draw inspiration from nature. Add rugs, textiles, architectural elements, plants, and books to incorporate texture.

Wicker is another excellent way to add texture to a space, as this versatile weave is reminiscent of tree bark. It makes a lovely addition to any room, especially when wrapped around a vase and filled with fresh greens. When adding texture, it’s essential to create a balance – as with anything in design, there can be too much of a good thing.

Faux flowers are fast gaining popularity, and there are obvious benefits to these low-maintenance artificial blooms – they provide instant decoration, they’re cost-effective, and if you can’t keep your indoor plants alive or travel often, faux ones are the best option.

Rustic Spring Decorating Ideas
Image courtesy of Michael Partenio

Rustic Spring Decorating Trend 4: House Plants

Indoor gardening hasn’t been so popular since the 1970s.  According to Elle Magazine’s Top Design Trends, climbing plants have become incredibly popular on Pinterest. Creating an indoor garden using pots of varying sizes and shapes is easy. Add interest to a tabletop by grouping mix-and-match pots filled with plants of different sizes. You can also add personality to the house by adding hanging planters and plant stands.

Living with an Abundance of Houseplants | Rustic Spring Decorating Ideas
Image courtesy of TLC Interiors

Rustic Spring Decorating Ideas for Kitchens

Spring is the perfect time to give your kitchen a refreshing update. Here are some ideas to bring the spirit of the season into your kitchen: 

1. Add pops of color: Use colorful dish towels, tablecloths, and placemats to infuse your kitchen with spring colors. Consider swapping out your usual kitchen accessories for ones in bright, cheerful hues. 

2. Display fresh flowers: Fresh flowers are a simple and beautiful way to add a touch of nature to your kitchen. Place a vase of tulips, daffodils, or other spring blooms on your kitchen island or table. 

3. Use natural materials: Incorporate natural materials like wood, wicker, and stone into your kitchen decor. Wooden cutting boards, wicker baskets, and stone countertops can all add warmth and texture to your space. 

4. Add greenery: Bring the outdoors in by adding plants to your kitchen. Consider a small herb garden on your windowsill or a potted plant on your countertop. 

5. Update your lighting: Swap out old light fixtures for ones more aligned with the season. Consider pendant lights in natural materials like rattan or bamboo. 

With these simple updates, your kitchen will be ready to welcome the arrival of spring!

Kitchen in Bright Spring Colors
Image courtesy of Cortney Bishop Design

Rustic Spring Decorating Ideas

Easy Ways to Update Your Home for Spring 

Country Living Magazine asked designers how they refresh their homes for Spring – and here are a few of my favorite suggestions:

1. Update your pillows. “While velvet, silk, and tweed are beautiful year-round fabrics, they can feel a bit heavy for the spring and summer months. It’s easy to give your home frequent updates by having a “pillow wardrobe” for various seasons, just like you do for your clothing. Spring is a great time of year to bring in pillows in breezy fabrics like linen or printed cotton to lighten things up a bit.” —Paloma Contreras.
2. Refresh your bedding. “Welcome spring, and treat yourself! Pick up a new duvet and shams to brighten up your bedroom. This easy fix brings color to your room and can help motivate you to make your bed daily!” —Ryan White.
3. Use foliage. “I like to freshen things up when springtime rolls around with big statement leaves in fun vases. From banana leaves and philodendron leaves to palms and papyrus, it’s easy and low-maintenance to add freshness to a room without a fuss. And if you regularly refresh the water and trim the bottom of the stem, the leaves can live on for months.” —Justina Blakeney.
4. Add some color. “Colorful accessories are always an easy update for spring. Affordable vases, interesting objects, and colorful books brighten any coffee table or entry console in minutes. Bold agate accents, gold-leaf pieces, and fashion books are my favorites when accessing my home.” —Abbe Fenimore.
5. Keep it simple. “Spring is a time when we all want the freshness of the outdoors to be reflected in ourselves and our interiors. Renewal doesn’t mean you have to change everything in your home. Send out area rugs for spring cleaning and try having bare floors. Remove your usual accessories for a while and have only simple, fresh spring branches and lovely green plants adorning your home. You’ll feel like you are being reborn along with the natural world.” —Young Huh.
6. Bring in new scents. “Change your candles for a fresh, breezy laundry scent or something citrusy. I always keep my Buckingham Interiors + Design Showroom stocked with wonderful seasonal scents.” —Julia Buckingham.
7. Add a new statement piece. “Refreshing a room for spring can be quite easy. Subtle changes such as introducing a playful light fixture or buying a piece of art are simple and can instantly rejuvenate a space.” —Sara Story.

Rustic Spring Decorating Ideas
Image courtesy of Country Living

Pantone Color of the Year 2024: Apricot Crush

Pantone describes the color of 2024 Red Orange as “a heated gregarious orange tone both spontaneous and self-assured.” This color will take center stage in many new interior design projects and on the fashion runways.

WGSN, the world’s leading forecaster of worldwide patterns and color, named Apricot Crush the Color of the Year 2024. Apricot Crush – or Coloro 024-65-27 – connotes “care, connection, and community” due to what orange represents. It’ ‘s important to note that this connotation is also due to the “nutritional properties of vitamin and antioxidant-rich oranges and apricots.” According to WGSN, the Color of 2024 is “a warming luminosity to the home, indoors and outdoors.” This shade will be incorporated into home décor items and furniture.

Pantone Color of the Year : Apricot Crush
Image courtesy of Elle Decor

Interior Design Trends 

1. Earthy Sage Takes the Lead

Earthy sage rises in the ranks against jewel tones, as evidenced by social media and the prevalence of emerald tones in home design. Emerald has topped the charts for three years in a row. However, this reign as designers’ top prediction for popular colors has come to an end in 2024, with sage green taking the lead (by three percentage points) as the color that’s predicted to be most popular in 2024, garnering 26 percentage points versus emerald green’s 23%.

The top color contender is dark brown/chocolate at 21%, which rose from sixth to third place year-over-year. It’s followed by burnt/dusty orange (19%), dark yellow/mustard (19%), and light brown/tan (17%) for an earthy 1970s-inspired palette. – 1stDibs

Sage Green Kitchen with Pink Backsplash
Image courtesy of The Spruce

2. Patterns in Patterns and All About Aesthetics

When asked what one pattern or motif will be popular in 2024, organic designs, bold/large scale prints, and florals are expected to become the most popular looks, although bold scale has declined slightly since 2022. The top design aesthetics that will remain popular for 2024 include mid-century modernism, Scandinavian modernism, minimalism, maximalism, and monochromatic schemes. – 1stDibs

Jeremiah Brent Design
Image courtesy of Architectural Digest

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